The Texas prison system has job openings for more than 3,500 correctional officers, and nearly 250 of those jobs need to be filled in Beeville area prisons.
The Garza East and West units are short about 100 officers, while the McConnell Unit is looking for 140 people.
The State said that the Eagle Ford Shale boom is to blame for the shortage of guards. Gary Currie, the senior warden at the McConnell Unit, said that right now, there is a $4,000 sign-on bonus.
At Chase Field, there are bachelor officer's quarters now setup where officers are charged $25 a month to stay. Other thing's the prison system has done to attract employees is to look outside the country to try and fill the manpower shortage.
The State's prison system will hold a job seminar Dec. 4 at Workforce Solutions of the Coastal Bend here in Corpus Christi. If you would like to know what the requirements are to become a corrections officer, visit the Texas Department of Criminal Justice at www.tdcj.state.tx.us.
